Council tax freeze has benefited those in the higher council tax bands the most

21 August 2010

Marlyn Glen said today that the Scottish Government’s council tax freeze has “benefited those in the higher council tax bands the most”

Ms. Glen was commenting on figures showing what would have happened to council tax payments in the bands A-H if council tax had risen in line with inflation ( consumer price index) over the past three years rather than having been frozen.

She said that the figures “confirm the overall Scottish trend that the council tax freeze has benefited those in the upper council tax bands the most.”

She continued,

“Dundee City Council, like all other Scottish councils, has been treated very badly by the Scottish Government over the council tax freeze.

They promised Dundee City Council £1.762 million this year to freeze its council tax but only if the council slashed its spending by over 4 times that amount – £7.65 million.

“The more that the Scottish Government limits the council’s means of funding, the deeper the spending cuts the council must make.

“So the council struggles to provide services at the same time as carrying out the orders of the Scottish Government to cut back severely on spending.

“However, the council is still expected to implement costly Scottish Government’s promises such as reducing class sizes in P1-P3 classes for which it has received no extra money.

“This is why this Scottish Government policy for funding local government is unsustainable and unworkable.”